Wireless local area network (WLAN) devices may connect to each other to create peer-to-peer (P2P) or mesh networks, particularly in industrial applications where the network may extend over a large physical area. For example, FIG. 1A illustrates an implementation of a wireless network of a plurality of wireless access points 102A-102F installed on train coaches 100A-100C. Within a train coach (e.g. coach 100A), two access points (e.g. access points 102A and 102B) may be physically connected, such as via an Ethernet connection. Access points may also be connected between train coaches (e.g. access point 102B in coach 100A and access point 102C in coach 100B). However, as train coaches may be frequently coupled and uncoupled, physical connections may require extra time to connect and disconnect, and may be sources of physical component failure. Instead, access points between coaches may be connected via wireless connections 104A-104B as shown.
In some implementations, connections 104A-104B may be preconfigured. For example, access point 102B may be configured to establish connection 104A with access point 102C. However, if the train coaches are coupled in a different order, as shown in the implementation of FIG. 1B, access point 102B may need to be reconfigured to establish connection 104D with access point 102E. Such reconfiguration may take additional time, or require specialized tools or trained operators.
Similarly, in other implementations in which access points are deployed to create a mesh or P2P network, the access points may be pre-configured to establish connections with specified neighboring devices within the network. Manually reconfiguring the network topology may be complex and time-consuming.
The details of various embodiments of the methods and systems are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below.